I'm Not a Nerd, But Does that Mean ...

... i'm stupid??? i had no idea what most of those answers were.

donc!!

a little relieved, but a little upset at the same time,
DLu.

PS: does Mn stand for gold? i, uh, didn't take highschool biology or chemistry and now i kind of regret it.

All Things Canto

so during our most recent "christmas" vacation, i went with the rents to my first home and
rediscovered a wonderful thing: 80's canto pop.

for those of you who've never heard it, there's nothing like it. admittedly, it's nothing like country, but without a doubt, it surpasses my love of alan. although, arguably, it is 100X more hokey, i still can't help myself from wanting to fill my life with the sound of electronic keyboard sound effects, saxaphone backgrounds and cheesy electric guitar solos.

if i could go back in time, i would seriously consider going back to 80's era HK. that's when andy lau, lau me guan and mui yeen fong were at their peak! man, what a great time to be alive. not only could u look ugly and get away with it (fashion being your excuse), but you could rock out all day to these HK megastars. oh, to bask in the light of their overly-orchestrated glory!!

to the left is lau mei guan. i'm listening to her even as we speak! ok, so the cover is a little risque (woah, easy on the shoulder showage! pull that shirt up!!) but really ... haha! you can't get much more 80's HK than this.

discovering a real copy of her "greatest hits" cd was one of the best purchases i've ever made in my entire cd-shopping history. i fully remember her songs from when i lived in HK. ok people, be honest: "how could you not want thiiiiiiisssssssss" (hah, MiLK).



and who could forget mr. andy-the-legend-lau? he's one cool cat. look at him raise that fist. you go andy. power to the people.

but really, when one contributes so significantly to the quality of life for so many millions of people around the world, you deserve to be considered a legend. i dunno what it is about this guy. he's not a particularly good musician, or a good actor, but you just know you should like him.

he hawks a clothing brand over here. i don't particularly like the clothes, but everytime i pass by, i walk in to take a look around. i suspect it's the power of the lauzer himself, drawing me in. it's awful. i know.

reflecting on this post and my recent 'country music' post, maybe i'm having some sort of subconcious identity wrestling match. white vs. yellow, west vs. east, country vs. 80's canto pop. maybe this is what "third culture" really means. although, really, does it have to be one or the other? there's enough room for the shanias and the andys of this world to get along, isn't there?

Preach it Preacherman!

I thought this was a really interesting read from a blog i "stalked" out.

to keep it short: u know how on the front page of "blogspot.com" there's the constant scrolling list of blogs being updated? have you ever clicked on it before? well, i did, and this is the blog it took me to.

the following is a shocking/insightful/wise entry that this guy made on march 31st. i think many of us could take it to heart.

Already Tired

I used to wonder why so many pastors burned out and quit. It is not so difficult to see these days. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that ministry today is different than it used to be. I don't mean to minimize the difficulties of yesterday. I know they were real. Ministry today is simply different, and not necessarily in a good way.

I read today that 1,200 to 1,300 pastors are leaving the ministry (voluntarily and otherwise) every month. Of course that's 1,300 pastors across the board, but no matter how you slice it, that's a lot of pastors. A few years ago I read that pastors are being fired at a rate of one every six hours.

I don't know how accurate the numbers above really are, but I suspect there is much truth to them. In my own schedule, I wrestle with how to juggle an active family with young children and my duties as a pastor. Sunday School teachers complain about having to "get a lesson up," then complain because the pastor didn't deliver a Charles Swindoll or Joel Osteen message last Sunday. Never mind that he taught Sunday School, preached that morning, preached again that evening, taught on Wednesday night in an already crunched schedule.

For any pastors reading this, don't get all self-righteous on me and say you've never felt anger or even rage about the situation. Working 60 and 70 hour weeks is murder. Not that I'd trade it, my calling that is. I'd trade the work load in a minute. I don't think Jesus ever intended for His churches to set up such unrealistic ideas about church.

Whenever I read about Elijah falling so low after his great victory against the prophets of Baal, I think to myself that this man was so selfish. I know better now. The last three weeks have been some of the most difficult for me, not because the work is so hard, but because I finally see that Satan has been drowning me in busyness.

Funny thing is is that I hadn't thought much about it until recently, when the Lord slowed me down enough to see that in the midst of my activity and duty I had lost my heart. Now I long for those moments of solitude, like Jesus in a deserted place, so I might step out of the busyness and breathe again. Tonight is the first night my family has been together since we returned from vacation three weeks ago. Is that what the Lord had in mind? I think not.

I long to see the glory of God beating in the hearts of the people in my life. That's no easy battle - but in the end it will be worthwhile. In the midst of that battle the trick is to find balance in this high speed, intense world in which we live, learning what battles are really worth fighting, and remembering at the end of the day that it is not my church member's kids or wife that missed me. It will not be the PTO who wants a bedtime story or a game of Round-the-World after dinner. My biggest fans are right here under my roof.

http://higgypreacherman.blogspot.com/

makes you think, doesn't it?

DLu.

A Salute to a Real BPAPM Hero

as you all know, i'm going to be coming back next year. before returning, however, there are still a few things i need to sort out with my department (getting a thesis advisor, for example) before i can begin my final year.

a few weeks ago, i emailed one of the ppl in charge at the art. kruegs. office and have been anxiously waiting a reply. "what if i actually couldn't take a year off?" "what if i can't get a thesis advisor now?" "what if i've been striken off the records as ever being a bpapmer?!" were all thoughts that've been running through my mind the last few weeks.

anyway, a fellow bpapmer offered to go to talk to mrs-secretary-general of bpapm for me. now, you have to understand that this woman is in-tim-i-da-ting. we both agree that, um, minimal interactions with her are, uh, preferred, because she's, to put it nicely, exteremly aggressive. or highstrung. or has a lazer glare.

the following is the conversation that ensued between mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm and little mons (as recorded by mons. names have been changed):

-----------
hey dlu

So I just spoke to mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm like 10 minutes ago. I'm sitting in the PAPM lab writing this now. This was the exact dialogue:

Mons: (knocks on door and smiles): Hi mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm? Did you receive an email from a student named DLu? He asked me to ask you if you received it, and I told him I would ask you to ask if you would return it?

mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm: (looks up with blank stare for 5 seconds and lets out an outburst of laughter): Hah! look at my desk! (She points to the desk evidently covered with piles of papers). Yes, I received DLu's email. I will return it to him shortly; tell him he's on my list.

Mons: Ohhh... sorry to see you're so busy. He's been crying in front of his computer waiting for your response though... don't worry I'll let him know.

mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm: I've got an awards dinner to plan, deadlines to meet.... (her eyes are clearly bloodshot) Yes; if you are in touch with DLu I'll try to send him a message as soon as next wednesday.

Mons: Ok thanks a lot mrs-secretary-general-of-bpapm. I'll let him know. Fruit popsicles are really good for stress by the way.

- In short; she'll be in touch with you soon:)

Gotta get back to this essay!

----------

i just wanted to give props to a very brave woman. thanks for helpin a brother out.

DLu.

PS: i realize this post probably makes no sense to the 99% of those of you who aren't enrolled in bpapm. hah, oh well. i just wanted to give props to you mons! you're a freaking hero!

Being the Old Guard

have you... excuse me while we take a quick visit to the back of my mind ...

what's back there you ask? a slight and maybe growing sense of dread for next year (ie: september).

i'm going to be the old guard.

woah. what have i done? it may have been easier to come, than it'll be to go back.

only a few more months and the last year of my university career will start. and then onto the "real world." i know i'm building it up to be more than it really is.

but still, it seems almost unfathomable to me.

DLu.

Oh For the Love of Country!!

... something bewildering has happened while i've been away. over the course of the past few months, i've realized that i'm not who i thought it was. i don't know if i was in denial before, lying to myself and to my friends and family. all i know is that huge burden of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

i'll just cut to the chase ...

... *deep breath* ... this is a hard admission to make.

...

i've recently ... come out of the country-music-lovin'-closet. apparently 1 in 10 people are country-music-closeters, but i am proud to say that i've busted out with a vengence!

... wow, i now feel so much better.

it's like my eyes are still getting adjusted to the world as i thought i knew it now that i'm out, but let me tell you -- i haven't experienced such freedom in a while. it's like i'm now living in a world of technicolour, where as before, it was just a world of plain ol' colour (inhabited by the michael w. smiths, the 50 cents, the britneys of this world). i don't think you'd understand if you yourself have not yet come out.

it's a difficult thing to admit. i know that this was partially a choice, but maybe i was just born loving country music. i don't know. but don't hate me! i'm still the same person, except now i will probably try to make you join my ranks by forcing us to listen to the shanias, the john denvers, and the garths of country-land. i'm looking forward to roadtrips again, haha.

i'm here and just cause i like country doesn't mean i'm some redneck drinking beer! but i do love me some mr. alan jackson. i bought his cd a few days ago, and that's actually the moment when it dawned on me: i am a country lover.

look at this guy! only a guy completely comfortable in his machoness could pull off the following looks:

admit it guys and gals. alan is the epitome of cool. anyone who can pull off a jean jacket with leather fringe knows they're awesome.

i think i'm on the verge of man crushing.

although i'm still pretty new to the country scene (i'm looking to get further exposed in the coming months and years), i've compiled a list of my my top five favourite country songs at the moment:
1. right on the money - alan jackson
2. country roads - john denver (an asian favourite, oddly enough)
3. remember when - alan jackson (described as 'the height of sappification' by one friend)
4. bless the broken road - rascal flatts (again, sap)
5. any man of mine - shania twain (back in the days when shania was still country. actually, i'm really embarassed about this one. really. embarassed.)

well, there you have it folks. i'm out.

i hope someday you'll join us. and the country world can live as one.

DLu.

PS: I'm not actually coming home yet. that was an april fool's joke gone horribly awry. i bet some of you wish this one were the april fool's joke eh? haha.

Happy Birthday!

I wanted to wish a very happy birthday to tara! have a great birthday celebration (even though i won't be there, i'm sure you'll have a good time anyway, haha). This is my gift to you :) hahaha!

Your very bestest friend in EA,
DLu.